Automakers Emphasize Fuel Economy at the L.A. Auto Show

The Los Angeles Auto Show, which opened to the public on December 1st, is
providing automakers with a prime venue to show how they will address
fuel economy this year and into the future. General Motors Corporation
(GM), for instance, showed up with four future models: the 2008 GMC
Yukon Hybrid, the Saturn Aura Green Line Hybrid, and the fuel-cell-powered Chevrolet Sequel and Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell. GM announced
at the show that it has established a "high priority program" to
produce a plug-in hybrid version of its Saturn Vue Green Line, using
its two-mode hybrid system with a lithium ion battery pack. Though GM
would not put a production date on that vehicle, this year the company
is rolling out its Saturn Vue Green Line "mild" hybrid, which uses a
belt-driven starter and alternator system. That system will be
available on two sedans next year, the Saturn Aura Green Line and the
Chevrolet Malibu.

GM's heftier two-mode hybrid system will debut next year in the
Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs, expanding in 2008 to the Saturn
Vue Green Line and Cadillac Escalade SUVs and the Chevrolet Silverado
and GMC Sierra pickups. The two-mode hybrid system is expected to
yield significant improvements in fuel economy, including a 45 percent
improvement for the 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line, compared to the non-hybrid Saturn Vue. Looking ahead to 2015, GM won the auto show's
Design Challenge with its on-paper concept for a fuel-cell-powered
"Hummer O2," which would feature algae-filled body panels that produce
pure oxygen. For the present, though, GM is currently offering 23
vehicles that achieve an estimated 30 miles per gallon or more on the
highway, up from just 14 last year. See GM's
L.A. Auto Show Web site
and the press releases on its
L.A. auto show lineup, the
plug-in hybrid plans, the
two-mode hybrid version of the Saturn Vue Green Line, and the
Hummer O2.

The duck-tailed Honda FCX Concept had its U.S. debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.Credit: Susan Goldman, Honda American Motor Co., Inc.

While GM had plenty to announce at the show, other car companies let
their display vehicles do the talking. Ford Motor Company unveiled a
fuel-cell-powered Explorer, developed as part of a DOE demonstration
program and featuring a range of 350 miles. Ford also unveiled its
redesigned 2008 Escape SUV, including the hybrid version. Honda
displayed its FCX Concept, a sleek fuel cell vehicle that was first
unveiled last year in Japan. The FCX Concept will be the basis of a
2008 vehicle to be marketed on a limited basis in Japan and the United
States. In addition, BMW is displaying its Hydrogen 7, a limited-production sedan that burns hydrogen in an internal combustion engine.
The Los Angeles Auto Show is open to the public through December 10th.
See the Honda press release
and the Ford press releases on the
Explorer
and the Escape,
and for photos of all the vehicles, see the
Los Angeles Auto Show Web site.